Up to date November 2024: This story has been up to date with the brand new availability of Stardew’s 1.6 replace.
The favored farming sim and final cozy sport Stardew Valley dropped a serious replace on Tuesday after months of anticipation. Stardew’s 1.6 replace has an insane quantity of latest content material that touches each space of the sport, from new menus and DIYs, to a brand new farm format, new crops, and the flexibility to have a number of pets and play with seven associates directly. It’s sufficient updates to make the sport really feel contemporary, but it surely isn’t so new you could’t ease again right into a beloved farm and toil away.
As of November 4, 2024, the free replace is accessible for gamers on all platforms. The replace was initially solely accessible for PC gamers utilizing Steam, but it surely’s now accessible for console and cellular gamers too. If you do not have the sport but, you’ll be able to buy it on Steam for $15 for PC, Linus, and Mac computer systems, or the store on your console of selection, just like the Nintendo Retailer ($15) or Xbox Retailer ($15). You too can buy it for cellular within the Apple Retailer ($5) or Google Play Retailer ($5) to play in your cellular units. There aren’t any cross-saves, so every platform may have its personal recordsdata and farms.
As quickly because the PC replace arrived again in March, I opened up Stardew Valley and began a file with the brand-new farm format (which has me very broke) to dive proper in. The replace additionally works in your current Stardew recordsdata, and I’ve been bouncing forwards and backwards between my brand-new file and a later-game file to see what’s new in several seasons. In every single place I look, I see one thing new. Moss to forage off timber! New reactionary dialog from NPCs! A prize machine within the mayor’s home!
For those who hate spoilers, I’m truthfully unsure why you learn this far, however it’s best to undoubtedly cease studying. I’m about to let you know about a few of the largest modifications I’ve noticed since enjoying the up to date sport.
Screenshot courtesy of Nena Farrell
Ranch Mode
The most important change to see straight away is the brand new farm format. Stardew’s 1.6 replace provides the Meadowlands Farm, a grass- and animal-focused design for my fellow animal ranchers. This farm grows a particular blue grass that sport creator Eric Barone says animals will love. It might probably elevate animal’s hearts sooner, bettering the eggs and milk they offer you. There’s much less farming land accessible, and some modifications to preliminary quests. I’m having fun with the Meadowlands Farm to date—I instantly created one when the sport dropped–regardless that beginning with two chickens and no parsnip seeds is certainly a slower path to the infinite wealth I am in search of. However regardless that I am broke, it’s nonetheless been enjoyable to have such a special begin to the sport.
Screenshot courtesy of Nena Farrell
Contemporary Crops
The primary query my sister requested me after I began enjoying: “Are there new crops?” At first, I informed her no. I didn’t see something new to buy within the store. However there are new crops with the replace–you simply gained’t discover them in any shops.
As a substitute, you discover 4 new crops (one for every season!) in just a few other ways—primarily, digging them up from the bottom within the sport’s well-known Artifact Spots, though spots with these new crops have a barely completely different model you’ll be capable to spot. You too can win them within the brand-new Prize Machine within the mayor’s home, when you get your hand on a prize ticket. The brand new crops are carrots for spring, summer time squash for (shocker) summer time, broccoli for fall, and powdermelon in winter. These new crops can be utilized within the sport’s most important quest, too. Simply select Remixed Bundles for the Neighborhood Heart in your beginning settings.
